What’s Good: April 3-9, 2025
Our weekly guide to what’s going on around Buffalo and in the world of pop culture.
We’ve expanded our sports listings and given them their own space: check out The Sports Page for records, recent scores, and upcoming games from the UB Bulls and every Buffalo pro and semi-pro team.
Thursday, 4/3
David Sedaris (Rockwell Hall, Buffalo State, 1300 Elmwood Ave, 8pm, $50-$58)
The renowned humorist reads new, unpublished stories, and will sign copies of his new short story collection, Happy Go Lucky, and his first childrens’ book, Pretty Ugly.
Dial M For Murder (Shea’s 710, 710 Main St, 7:30pm, $54.75)
A stage adaptation of Hitchcock’s classic murder mystery. Through 4/13.
Lizzie (9th Ward, 341 Delaware Ave, 7pm doors/8pm, $25/$20 student)
This all-female rock musical puts a modern twist on the Lizzie borden story.
Lavendar Haze Hip Hop Night (Nietzsche’s, 248 Allen St, 8pm-midnight, $10)
A bill loaded down with local talent, including Rodagues, Aaqil Ali El, Audi3K, Aaron Dawaun, and DJ Lil’ Gab.
Queen City Roller Derby (Riverworks, 359 Ganson St, 7:30pm, $18)
Game 7 of the season: Saucies vs. Alley Kats.
Sousaphunk (Nietzsche’s, 248 Allen St, 6-8pm, FREE)
Funky sousaphone-drum-guitar trio.
Stephen Babcock (The Caz, 2221 Seneca St, 6pm doors/7:30pm, $12)
Rust belt indie rock. w/Addisyn Logan, Johnny & the Man Kids
Aitina Fareed-Cooke (Grupp Fireside Lounge, Canisius Univerity, 2001 Main St, 7pm, FREE)
The Canisius Contemporary Writers Series presents an evening with Buffalo’s Poet Laurate.
Steina + Woody Vasulka (Hallwalls, 341 Delaware Ave, 7pm, FREE)
A discussion with the filmmakers, with screenings of their short films Participation, which the Warhol Factory scene from 1969-71; Violin Power, capturing live performances in Buffalo with acoustic and MIDI violins; and Art of Memory, in which images of 20th century conflicts are projected onto Southwestern landscapes.
Level Up (Iron Works, 49 Illinois St, 7pm doors/8pm, $20adv/$25, 18+)
Dubstep DJ Sonya Broner, on her Sapphire Souls tour. w/Izzy Vadim, Austeria
Jeff Allen (Helium, 30 Mississippi St, 8pm, $39)
Allen has earned nearly a billion views on Dry Bar Comedy with his takes on marriage and family life.
Party101 (Town Ballroom, 681 S Main St, 7pm doors/8pm, $37, 18+)
Former Nick/Disney Channel actor Matt Bennett spins throwback music from those two networks’ classic shows.
Crespobeats (Electric City, 433 Pearl St, 6pm, FREE)
The WBFO DJ spins in the club every Thursday from 7-9 and then live to air from 9-11.
Improv Mixer (Buffalo Improv House, 255 Great Arrow Ave #207, 7:30pm, $5 suggested)
Join in some low-stakes improv comedy, or just sit back and enjoy the show!
Poetry Open Mic & Game Night (Twentysixallen, 26 Allen St, 6pm)
Co-hosted by Sara Ali and Meg Specksgoor
Friday, 4/4
George Wallace (Helium, 30 Mississippi St, 7pm/9:15, $41-$62)
The legendary stand-up was a must-follow in Twitter’s heyday and is a must-see any time he comes through town.
Rachel Ablow (Hallwalls, 341 Delaware Ave, 4pm, FREE)
UB Humanities presents UB English professor Ablow’s discussion of Belief as Culture: Flora Annie Steel’s Imperialist Postsecularism as part of the Scholars@Hallwalls series.
Dial M For Murder (Shea’s 710, 710 Main St, 7:30pm, $54.75)
A stage adaptation of Hitchcock’s classic murder mystery. Through 4/13.
Big Wreck (Town Ballroom, 681 S Main St, 7pm doors/8pm, $44, 12+)
w/The Band Feel
Tyler Rich (Iron Works, 49 Illinois St, 7pm doors/8pm, $26adv/$30, All Ages)
Roots-rock singer-songwriter. w/Clayton Johnson, Chris Ferrara
Band Named Sue (Nietzsche’s, 248 Allen St, 6-10pm, FREE)
Tribute to Johnny Cash and other classic country artists.
Jeffrey Lewis & the Voltage (Nietzsche’s, 248 Allen St, 10pm-mid, $15adv/$20)
w/Grasping for Straws, Welks Mice
Live Band Karaoke (Rec Room, 79 W Chippewa St, 10pm, $8)
Belt out your favorites in front of a live band.
New Movies This Week
A Minecraft Movie (Transit Center, 6707 Transit Rd, Williamsville)
Napoleon Dynamite director Jared Hess manages to bring a surprising amount of his charm to this decade-too-late video game adaptation built on the Jumanji formula — a bunch of young people and a popular tough guy get sucked into a magical world and also Jack Black is there.
Freaky Tales (Walden Galleria)
This action-comedy tells four overlapping stories in 1987 Oakland, CA.
Hell of a Summer (in wide release)
Stranger Things‘ Finn Wolfhard wrote, directed, and stars in this horror-comedy about a masked killer hunting down the staff of a summer camp.
The Luckiest Man in America (in wide release)
The true story of an ice cream truck driver who exploited a loophole that allowed him to win a record amount of money on 1980s game show Press Your Luck. With Paul Walter Hauser, Walton Goggins, David Straithairn, and Maisie Williams.
The Martial Artist (Elmwood Center, 2001 Elmwood Ave)
After a rising MMA star is overwhelmed by stardom and goes into a downward spiral, he retreats to the mountains of Pakistan in the hopes of gaining wisdom from his estranged grandfather.
Sikandar (Elmwood Center, 2001 Elmwood Ave)
Salman Khan stars as a Gujarati politician who tracks down the recipients of his late wife’s donated organs. In Hindi with subtitles.
Saturday 4/5
Buffalo United March (Niagara Square, 11am-1pm)
Buffalonians march to protest unelected billionaire Elon Musk’s unconstitutional dismantling of critical government institutions, targeting our most vulnerable neighbors. More information at mobilize.us/handsoff/event/765253/
George Wallace (Helium, 30 Mississippi St, 7pm/9:30, $41-$62)
The legendary stand-up was a must-follow in Twitter’s heyday and is a must-see any time he comes through town.
Dogs To the Rescue (Iron Works, 49 Illinois St, 3:30pm doors/4pm, $15, All Ages)
Kid-friendly show to benefit the Buffalo Animal Shelter, featuring performance by Asbury Park psychedelic group Dogs In a Pile.
Dogs In a Pile (Iron Works, 49 Illinois St, 7pm doors/8pm, $24adv/$27, 18+)
After their afternoon all-ages show, the band returns for a most-ages evening show..
Dial M For Murder (Shea’s 710, 710 Main St, 8pm, $54.75)
A stage adaptation of Hitchcock’s classic murder mystery. Through 4/13.
Edible Book Festival (WNY Book Arts Center, 468 Washington St, 11am-2pm, $5)
Local artists and chefs present actual edible books, which are exhibited, jjudged, and then eaten.
Ha Ha Show! (Buffalo Improv House, 255 Great Arrow Ave #207, 4pm, $10)
Family-friendly all-ages improv variety show.
Level One Student Showcase (Buffalo Improv House, 255 Great Arrow Ave #207, 6pm, $8 suggested)
BIH’s students put on improvised sketches based on true stories.
Various Factors (Buffalo Improv House, 255 Great Arrow Ave #207, 7pm, $14)
Broadway-inspired improvised musical comedy. Live piano karaoke afterwards.
Millington (Rec Room, 79 W Chippewa St, 6pm doors/7pm, $27, 16+)
w/Eternal Boy, Hyperview, Skyway
Consciousness Suite (Centro Culturale Italiano, 2351 Delaware Ave, noon, $5)
Excerpts from poet and longtime Buff State professor David Landrey’s Consciousness Suite, read by an ensemble of actors and vocal performers. Reception at noon, reading at 1.
Subversive Theater (Hallwalls, 341 Delaware Ave, 7pm)
No details were listed on Hallwalls’ web site.
Intentional Frequencies (Nietzsche’s, 248 Allen St, 8pm-mid, $10)
w/Loaded & Gorgeous, Joel Graham, Phriendly Phoes.
Teddy & the Rough Riders (The Cave, 71 Military Rd, 8pm, $18)
w/Loaded & Gorgeous, Joel Graham, Phriendly Phoes.
Cruel Summer (The Caz, 2221 Seneca St, 6pm doors/7:30pm, $25, All Ages)
Taylor Swift tribute
Tribute To the Traveling Wilburys (Asbury Hall, 341 Delaware Ave, 7pm doors/8pm, $35-$45)
Songs from the Harrison/Dylan/Petty/Orbison/Lynne supergroup, and from each individual artist.
Celtic Sessions (Nietzsche’s, 248 Allen St, 4-7pm, FREE)
Sunday 4/6
Dial M For Murder (Shea’s 710, 710 Main St, 2pm, $54.75)
A stage adaptation of Hitchcock’s classic murder mystery. Through 4/13.
G-Eazy (Town Ballroom, 681 S Main St, 7pm doors/8pm, $40, 16+)
w/Marc E. Bassy, Goody Grace
The Art of Business & the Business of Art (Hallwalls, 341 Delaware Ave, 11:30am, $30-$75)
A launch party and fundraiser for a masterclass in creative entrepreneurship.
The Suitcase Junket (9th Ward, 341 Delaware Ave, 7pm doors/8pm, $15adv/$18)
The project of singer-songwriter Matt Lorenz.
Jake Stack (Nietzsche’s, 248 Allen St, 4-6pm, FREE)
Iowa singer-songwriter.
Mary Ramsey & Friends (The Cave, 71 Military Rd, 3pm, $12.40)
The 10,000 Maniacs lead singer performs solo.
Universal Phunk (The Caz, 2221 Seneca St, 4:30pm doors/6pm, $24-$29)
Disco, funk, & Motown.
Pink Talking Fish (Iron Works, 49 Illinois St, 7pm doors/8pm, $20adv/$25, 18+)
This tribute act plays an unholy amalgam of Pink Floyd, Talking Heads, and Phish.
Anne Philippone’s Pinao Party (Nietzsche’s, 248 Allen St, 6-8pm, FREE)
Barrelhouse and boogie piano.
Jazz Cache (Nietzsche’s, 248 Allen St, 8:30pm-mid, FREE)
A rotating cast of Buffalo’s best jazz musicians.
Monday 4/7
Wooden Cities (Hallwalls, 341 Delaware Ave, 7:30pm)
UB’s music department presents a series of local composers and performers, including this local ensemble performing the work of UB graduate composers.
The Complete Unknowns (Nietzsche’s, 248 Allen St, 6-8pm, FREE)
Bob Dylan tribute.
Songwriter Showcase (Nietzsche’s, 248 Allen St, 8pm-mid, FREE)
Singer-songwriters from 8-9, and then an open mic for the rest of the evening.
Tuesday 4/8
Ricky Montgomery (Town Ballroom, 681 S Main St, 7pm doors/8pm, $37, 12+)
Viral TikTok singer/songwriter. w/Sean Solomon
John Vincent III (9th Ward, 341 Delaware Ave, 7pm doors/8pm, $30adv/$35)
Nashville-bsaed folk troubador. w/Murdo Mitchell
Shayfer James (Rec Room, 79 W Chippewa St, 7:45pm, $28, 16+)
w/Sparkbird
Steam Donkeys (Nietzsche’s, 248 Allen St, 6-8:30pm, FREE)
Long-serving “cosmic Americana” group.
Rust Belt Comedy Showcase (Nietzsche’s, 248 Allen St, 9-10pm, FREE)
A rotating cast of local stand-ups.
The Stripteasers (Nietzsche’s, 248 Allen St, 10pm-mid, $4)
Weekly burlesque show.
Open Mic (Cucina @ Hotel Richardson, 444 Forest Ave, 6-8pm)
This weekly open mic features music, poetry, and comedy. Register at jkonze@douglasdev.com.
Karaoke (Milkie’s, 522 Elmwood Ave, 8pm)
Wednesday 4/9
Open Mic Night (Helium, 30 Mississippi St, 7pm, FREE w/2-item minimum)
See over 20 comedians perform. Free tickets must be reserved.
Jackson Stokes (Iron Works, 49 Illinois St, 7pm doors/8pm, $15adv/$20, 18+)
Allmans-influenced soul-rock. w/Endless Mountain Derelicts.
Tyler Westcott & Dr. Jazz (Nietzsche’s, 248 Allen St, 7-9pm, FREE)
Cory Grinder (Nietzsche’s, 248 Allen St, 9pm-mid, FREE)
Country, hillbilly, and honky tonk.
Comedy Open Mic (Milkie’s, 522 Elmwood Ave, sign up 7pm, show 9:30pm)
